Cody Gakpo's Form Raises Concerns for Bradley Barcola

Jamie Carragher believes Bradley Barcola “is going to struggle to get a game” if Cody Gakpo keeps playing like this.

Liverpool’s £123m summer signing from Paris Saint-Germain is still waiting for his Premier League moment, but at Portman Road on Friday night the stage belonged to Gakpo and Alexander Isak.

Gakpo turns the screw, Isak delivers

Liverpool arrived at Ipswich under a bit of noise. Two 2-2 draws against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest had invited questions over Andoni Iraola’s start, over the balance of his attack, over the sharpness of his new-look side.

Those doubts didn’t last long.

Inside nine minutes, Liverpool were 2-0 up and cruising towards their first win of the season. Two quick, ruthless strikes from Isak settled the contest early, even as Ipswich kept swinging and finished with 14 shots.

The difference was quality in the final third. Twice Gakpo unlocked Ipswich, twice Isak finished.

The standout moment came with Liverpool’s second goal. Gakpo, drifting into space, slid an outrageous outside-of-the-boot through ball in behind the Ipswich defence, carving them open and sending Isak clear. One touch, finish. Clinical. It was the kind of pass that changes a game – and, potentially, a pecking order.

Carragher’s warning for Barcola

Watching on, Jamie Carragher didn’t miss the significance. The former Liverpool defender took to X and summed up the situation in one line:

“Barcola is going to struggle to get a game with this version of Gakpo.”

It was blunt, but it echoed a growing feeling. Gakpo has been one of Liverpool’s standout performers across pre-season and the early weeks of the campaign. Manchester City and Tottenham showed interest in the Netherlands international, yet Liverpool chose to keep him at Anfield and build around him.

Right now, that decision looks very smart.

Van Dijk: ‘He’s important for us’

Virgil van Dijk underlined just how central Gakpo has become. Speaking to Sky Sports after the win, the Liverpool captain was full of praise for his compatriot.

“Cody was outstanding. He’s important for us and he will be important this season as well,” Van Dijk said. “He showed it today, last week as well with the assist and over the last couple of years.”

Gakpo’s influence stretches beyond the numbers. His movement, his ability to link play, and his eye for the killer pass are giving Iraola a focal point that makes Liverpool’s attack look far more cohesive. For Barcola, trying to break into that front line, the bar has been set high from day one.

Isak finds his feet at last

On the other side of Gakpo’s brilliance stood a grateful finisher. Isak arrived from Newcastle United with a big reputation and a big fee, but last season never really caught fire. Injuries disrupted his rhythm, and Liverpool rarely saw the version of the Sweden international they thought they had signed.

This looked different.

Two goals, sharper movement, a constant threat in behind – Isak finally resembled the “massive player” Iraola insists he is.

“He’s a massive player for us,” the Liverpool boss said. “My demands will probably not be about the goals. I know he is fit and in good shape. He’s going to produce the numbers.

“My fight with him will be more about other stuff, how to help the team in other situations – but it is good he has already played two full games, scoring the goals, so I am very happy to have him.”

Isak himself sounded like a man who feels the pieces starting to click.

“We were waiting for the first win,” he admitted. “We talked about starting the game good, which we haven’t done recently, so it was perfect for us to get two good quick goals.

“With a normal pre-season, I think we are starting to get to the way we want to play. To be offensive and attack the defence. I think we did that. We scored two, and we could have scored more.”

A good problem for Iraola

So Iraola now has exactly what every elite manager secretly craves: a selection headache.

On one side, Barcola, the £123m statement signing from PSG, waiting for his full introduction. On the other, Gakpo, in form, trusted by his captain, and already knitting Liverpool’s attack together.

Carragher’s verdict might sting for the young Frenchman, but right now it reflects reality. If Gakpo keeps dictating games like he did at Portman Road, how does anyone – even a record signing – take the shirt off his back?